Amid allegations from the agitating Madhes-based parties that the government has failed recognise seriousness of their demands and warnings that they would withdraw their support to the government and launch protests, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has given a fresh assurance that he would resolve the Madhes crisis before Tihar, which will be observed in two weeks.

During three separate informal discussions held with Madhesi leaders this week, PM Dahal has offered to start issue-wise negotiations on the disputed issues, possibly from Sunday.

Madhesi leaders, who have been in regular touch with PM Dahal and senior ministers, said that the meetings to be held now onwards would seek to make a common position.

When Dahal was elected prime minister on August 3 with the backing of the agitating Madhes-based parties, he had pledged to resolve the Madhes crisis at the earliest through an amendment to the constitution. The government, however, is yet to table the constitutional amendment bill in Parliament.

“He has told us that the constitution amendment proposal would be tabled in Parliament before Tihar. If he fails to keep his word this time, we will withdraw support to the government and launch fresh protests,” said Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato. According to him, during a telephone conversation on Thursday, Dahal had said he would start homework to iron out differences on contentious issues related to federal boundaries, citizenship, and representation in the Upper House.

 “The government has failed to act as per our expectations. But I am still hopeful about a breakthrough,” said Mahato.

But not all the leaders from the agitating parties are convinced that the Dahal-led government would table the amendment proposal before Tihar.

Top leaders of the Madhes-based parties of late have been questioning the sincerity of the government about resolving the Madhes crisis.

Dahal had earlier announced that the government would table the constitution amendment proposal before his India visit which took place on September 15-18. After returning from India, he even called off his scheduled visit to New York, saying that there was a lot to do as the government was planning to table the amendment proposal before Dashain.

Dashain holidays are over now, and Dahal has set a new deadline of Tihar.

“It must not be forgotten that when this government was formed, resolving the Madhes crisis was one of its prime objectives,” said Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur. “But we are not seeing the kind of sincerity that we had expected when we extended our support to this government.”

Thakur said that the Madhes-based parties were expecting formal negotiations to start soon. According to him, PM Dahal and other ministers have been holding talks with the CPN-UML leadership to explore ways to resolve the crisis.

PM Dahal and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba had met UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli at Sheetal Niwas on the occasion of Dashain and discussed the need of fresh consensus among political parties to resolve Madhes crisis so that three levels of elections could be held in line with the constitutional provisions.